Reflection on Internet Readings

For my fourth article, I chose to read "Fighting Internet Filth", by Mario Hipol, in the August 2005 issue of the Ensign. From this and the other readings, I learned that one really doesn't have to be a computer expert in order to protect their family from the dangers on the internet. There are several simple, yet effective precautions that one can take to keep their entire family safe. Simple things like making sure you have an internet filter, bookmarking the main sites and/or search engines that you'll need, putting the computer in a public room in the house and not in a private room/area, and so forth. Another thing that really stuck out to me was limiting internet/media use each day, so as not to let virtual reality become a reality, as Elder Ballard expressed.
When a parent-from what I've learned through reading these articles-I plan to implement what I've learned (as stated in the above paragraph)directly to my children. Not only am I going to put our computer in a public room of the house (such as the living room), but I'm going to limit the time spent on the internet, as well as place bookmarks on our internet. In this way, the chances of my children clicking into a bad site will lower significantly. Of course I will talk to them about why we do so, so that they don't feel like we're just being strict. I will be sure that my children understand the positive and negative aspects of the internet, so that they can use their agency for good if they so choose.
As far as being able to be of positive influence over family and friends regarding this issue, I think that by being a good example and practicing these teachings myself would help a lot. I think that the decisions that one makes on the internet and elsewhere (movie choices, music preferences) says a lot about that person to their family and friends. And by seeing how these choices effects how you are as a person might and can influence family and friends to want to make similar if not the same decisions as you.